


Twinned Hearts

by freudensteins_monster



Category: Norse Religion & Lore, Thor - All Media Types
Genre: Arranged Marriage, Betrayal, Bets & Wagers, Canon Related, F/M, False Memories, Infertility, Jotunn | Frost Giant, Loki Angst, Loki Feels, Looking the world over, Magic-Users, Memory Alteration, Memory Loss, Miscarriage, Modern Era, Odin is a dick, Odin's Bad Parenting, Recovered Memories, Secret Marriage, Soul Bond, True Love, soul mates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-06
Updated: 2015-09-17
Packaged: 2018-04-19 08:23:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 14,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4739471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/freudensteins_monster/pseuds/freudensteins_monster
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When neighbours Lucas Doyle and Sidney Nyström crossed paths they felt an instant connection, liked they'd known each other their whole lives. It would have been the perfect start to a relationship if it weren't for the visions of strange people in stranger lands that invaded their minds whenever they kissed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> It's been a while since I've posted a multi-chapter fic, but there's a reason - I've been working on this (in dribs and drabs) since May. MAY. Yep, me, planning and plotting and editing. Hope you like it. xoxox

_From the moment he first saw her he loved her, which was infuriating for the prince. He had always been so certain of himself, but the moment he saw her he was… lost._

Lucas Doyle stood at a crossroads in the park watching the foot traffic and deciding that here, with a playground on one side and a coffee cart on the other, was the perfect place to perform. He held out his antique suitcase, an odd contraption favoured by salesmen decades ago, and pressed a button on one side that caused a set of metal legs to extend thereby turning it into a small table ([Refer 0.50](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVij2hRM76o)). He unclipped the top layer of the suitcase and swung it back, the ancient hinges squeaking slightly, to display a black sign that read “The Trickster Prince” in elegant green calligraphy. He smiled at the passers-by that paused in their travels as he made a small show of rolling up the sleeves of his dark green button down shirt. He unlocked the clasps of the suitcase, and from its shadowy confines removed a metal hoop and a flat circle of black fabric, which he placed atop the table. He played with the metal ring casually, tossing it from hand to hand, twirling it like a hula hoop around one finger before spinning it like a top in the palm of his hand. He made no attempt to draw in a crowd - he was no spruiker of wares. Instead, he put all his energy into his tricks, bringing in a crowd little by little. In his lightning fast hands one ring became two, and then two became three. One after the other he threw them into the air, juggling them for a time before throwing them as high as he could. When his hands were free, and the rings reached the zenith of their arc, Lucas reached for the black circle and tapped it against the suitcase transforming into a top hat. In his other hand he caught the rings on their descent and threw them - One! Two! Three! – into the hat before flattening it once again. There was a small crowd gathered in front of his table by this time, clapping politely. Lucas smiled and bowed to them before flicking a finger against the flat circle and restoring the top hat. He then knelt down to a boy clutching at his mother’s leg.

“Excuse me young man, would you mind taking the rings out for me?” he asked the shy child. The boy shuffled forward and reached his hand inside the hat only to squeal and pull it out a second later. He leaned over and looked inside, his face lighting up as he picked up a pitch black rabbit. “Ladies and gentleman - my loyal assistant, Sir Fluffy.”

The crowd cheered and turned to mush as the boy hugged the placid rabbit. Lucas pulled a piece of carrot out of his pocket and passed it to the boy.

“Would you like to hold on to him while I do my next trick?” he asked quietly. The boy nodded eagerly.

Lucas stepped back and spun his top hat around before pulling a crystal orb out of it. He set aside the hat and spun the orb in his hand, turning it this way and that, and with a flick of his wrist there were two orbs. What followed was a routine stolen, in part, from [Goblin King](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3U8fTAHxjdo), but even those that recognised it were delighted. He then held out an orb out to an audience member and asked them to blow on it, at which point the crystal became cloudy, filling with colour until the orb appeared to be made of solid gold. Lucas continued the routine and soon he held two gold orbs in his hand, and then two became three. Once more he juggled the items, and once more he threw them back into his top hat. He then held the hat out to the little boy who placed the rabbit gingerly into the void. Lucas stepped back behind his makeshift table, spun the hat around by its brim as though it weighed nothing before placing it reverently on the tabletop. And then _SLAM!_ He flattened it under his hand. The adults gasped and clapped, but some of the children – the boy who had held the rabbit in particular - started crying. Lucas made a show of cringing and looking awkward. He pulled a magic wand from thin air, tapped it against the table and restored the hat to its proper form, and then he tapped it against the hat and two furry black rabbit ears poked out of the hat. Lucas showed the little boy proof that Sir Fluffy was indeed alive and well as the audience cheered before he took his final bow. It was a short show but Lucas didn’t like to stay in the one spot for too long because sooner or later a cop would show up asking about permits, work visas, criminal records, and other such nonsense that the magician didn’t have time for. He perched the rabbit on his shoulder and held out his hat for donations with one hand and handed out flyers for his stage show in the other and thankfully several people were kind enough to oblige him. Lucas faltered when he noticed flash red hair pass behind a gaggle of bystanders but he quickly lost its source as the crowd dispersed. A couple with two small children approached him, diverting his attention with talk of performing at a birthday party. For the rest of the day Lucas couldn’t help shake the feeling that he’d missed out on a more important opportunity.


	2. Chapter 2

_From the moment she first saw him she loved him, which was terrifying for the healer. She had always been so certain of herself, but the moment she saw him she was… lost._

 

* * *

 

 

Doctor Nyström finally managed to leave the hospital on her third attempt. Once she made it past the last set of doors she jogged across the street before someone else decided they needed “just one last thing” from her. She reached the end of the block and turned left instead of the usual right towards the train station. She thought it was a perfect morning for a walk through the park, despite her exhaustion and the dull ache in her feet. Once on the other side of the park she could take another train the rest of the way home, she reminded herself. She stopped for a coffee and walked passed the small crowd watching a street performer and exited the park. The whole train ride home she had the niggling feeling that she had forgotten something.

By the time she got out of the shower the feeling had faded and she stood immobile before the mirror for ten minutes, staring at the dark circles under her eyes and her faded dye job. She’d had it coloured fire engine red the weekend after she moved in, four months ago. “Moved in” was an inaccurate term though, as eighty percent of her belongings were still in boxes. It had held its colour for about two weeks and then it started fading. Now it was a rusty brown colour that only flashed hints of its original colour in the sun, not that she had seen a lot of it in recent weeks. She sighed and finished up in the bathroom, changing into a black t-shirt and plaid pyjama pants. She fixed herself a cup of tea, checked her emails, and paid a few bills before turning her attention to the nearest moving box. She began to sort through it, pulling out textbooks and medical journals, and made the mistake of opening one up to check something and wound up waking up on her couch several hours later, the open book against her chest. She poured herself into bed but just before she drifted off there was a knock on her door. She waited for a moment, thinking – hoping – that she’d imagined it, but no, there it was again. She almost cried as she forced herself upright and went to the door, glaring through the peephole.

“Hello?”

“Uh, hi, sorry to disturb you, but, um, I’m Lucas. I live upstairs,” replied the dark haired, British accented stranger behind the door.

“What do you want?” she asked, though her hand was already poised to unlock to the deadbolt.

“I’ve, ah, hurt my hand,” he said, holding it up for her to see. “And I remember my neighbour mentioning once that there was a doctor in the building. I was hoping you could help me.”

She flicked the deadbolt and pulled the door open so there was only the chain separating her from her injured neighbour. She took one look at his hand and undid that too, leaving the door ajar as she went to retrieve her first aid kit.

“Take a seat,” she said, gesturing to her cluttered dining table. Lucas shuffled inside, eyeing the various boxes that littered the apartment, cupping his injured hand so not drip blood on her floor.

“Again, I’m sorry for bothering you,” he said, glancing at her pyjamas and tired appearance.

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it,” she admitted, waving it off. “Let me have a look.” She peeled back the bloodied towel, her eyes flicking up to meet his as he winced. She held his hand far more gently than she would for any other patient, her fingertips barely grazing his injured flesh. “It’s not too deep, I should be able fix it up for you.”

“Thank you so much. I really didn’t want to go to the ER if I didn’t need to.”

“It would have taken you twenty minutes to get there, and you would have had to have waited at least half an hour to be seen…”

“You work there, I take it,” he asked with tight smile as she cleaned the wound.

“Mhmm. I finished my shift a few hours ago. I’d been on call for almost 20hrs.”

“Yeesh. Did I tell you I was sorry?”

“A couple of times,” she laughed. “How’d you do this to yourself, anyway?”

“Well, Doctor…?”

“Nyström.”

“Well, Doctor Nyström, I was working on a scale model of a trick I had a dream about. Sharp implements plus energy drinks… It was never going to end well.”

“Trick?”

“Ah, yeah…” He suddenly looked sheepish. “I’m a magician.”

“A magician?”

“Yeah…”

She looked at her neighbour properly for the first time. Long dark hair framing a pale face, with cheekbones so sharp it wouldn’t have surprised her if he’d cut his hand on them, and hypnotic green eyes which were currently staring back at her.

“Is there something on my face?” he teased.

“Oh!” she blushed, averting her gaze and removing her hands from his. “Sorry, I was just trying to see it.”

“See what?”

“You as a magician. I was thinking you could go either way: tux and top hat or leather and eyeliner.”

“Ha! Actually, I find myself somewhere in the middle, style wise. More gothic than goth, I think, but when it comes to tricks I’m old school,” he said, flashing her a mischievous grin.

“So, no nails through the eye for you?”

“No, no thank you. Some magicians go that way because they think the audience has become jaded, that they need that something more… More elaborate, more in-your-face, more death-defying to keep them entertained. I don’t think so. People still love the classic tricks.”

“People will line up to be fooled,” his neighbour agreed.

“Huh…”

“What?”

“That’s something my dad used to say.”

“Oh, was he a magician too?”

“Ah, no, he was an out and out conman.”

“No way!”

“Mhmm… He taught me everything I know about misdirection and sleight of hand.”

“Wow…” she laughed.

“What about you? Did one of your parents inspire you to get into medicine?”

“I come from a long line of midwives, actually.”

“But not you? Don’t like kids?”

“I don’t know,” she cringed, putting the final bandage on his hand. “I’m just not comfortable around them, like I might break them.”

“You’re a doctor. You see broken people all the time.” He held up his hand as proof.

“I know, but… kids are different. All done.”

Lucas smiled and nodded, heading for the door. “So, um, when do you have some time off?”

“…why?”

“I…” he stared at her wistfully for a moment before throwing caution to the wind. “I’d like to take you dinner. To thank you. But I’d hate to cut into your precious sleeping time again.”

“I’ve got a short shift tomorrow, at the E.R. at St. Agnes. If I finish on time, I should be out of there by one, if lunch would be okay?” she replied without hesitation, a slight blush in her cheeks.

“I’ll pick you up then, Doctor Nyström.”

“Sidney. My name is Sidney.”


	3. Chapter 3

_The healer had never met the prince before, but she had only been working in the healing halls a few years and the younger prince didn’t go out of his way to injury himself, unlike the elder, who strode into the halls demanding attention on a regular basis. She caught herself staring and quickly averted her eyes, remembering her place and the reason why the prince would have need of someone such as her._

_“Apologies, your majesty. Please remove your coat and take a seat.”_

_She gasped as he made the illusion of his coat vanished with his seiðr, leaving his injured arm bare for her to inspect. He did not give an explanation for his injuries, and she did not ask, preferring to work in silence. She took his hand in hers, biting her tongue as a shiver ran up her spine at his touch. She pushed aside further unprofessional thoughts and focused on her work. She stopped looking at him and saw only his injuries, moving her hands up and down the burnt flesh, sending waves of her own seiðr into the wounds, cooling them, soothing them. She glanced at her patient then to see if the pain had subsided and found the prince was relaxed, sitting with his eyes closed, a small smile playing on his lips. She blushed and continued her work, concentrating on knitting the broken flesh. When she was finished she stepped back from her patient as he inspected his arm, now returned to its former flawless condition._

_“You have an amazing ability,” he remarked, dressing himself with a wave of his hand._

_“As do you, your majesty,” she blushed._

_“Tell me, what is your name? I would like to be able to ask for you the next time I injury myself.”_

_“Sigyn. My name is Sigyn, your majesty.”_

 

* * *

 

 

“I have a date.” The words were out of Sidney’s mouth before her favourite nurse, Franka, could say hello.

“With who?”

“A guy that lives in my building.”

“Oh no, honey. Didn’t anyone tell you not to shit where you eat?”

“Oh, come on,” Sidney pleaded. “It’s my first date in forever. Can you pretend for one second that this isn’t going to end horribly?”

“What’s his name? What does he do?” Franka asked, barely holding back every cynical fibre in her being.

“His name’s Lucas. He’s a magician.” The first part came easily, the second part not so much. Sidney winced as she waited for the mocking that was sure to come but after a moment’s silence she opened her eyes to find Franka was simply getting on with her paperwork. “I say he’s a magician and you don’t have an opinion?”

“Mm-mm. It’s not that surprising, especially if he looks anything like [Criss Angel](http://www.mytinyphone.com/uploads/users/saraness123/317428.jpg).”

“What do you mean by that?” Sidney asked, not willing to admit that Lucas may have had a passing resemblance to the more famous magician.

“You have a type.”

“No, I don’t.”

“Sure you don’t,’ Franka droned. “What was the name of the last guy you dated?”

“Mason.”

“The [Ville Valo](http://images1.fanpop.com/images/photos/1400000/Ville-Valo-him-1494774-626-800.jpg) wannabe. And the guy before that?”

“Adam…” Sidney mumbled, realising what Franka was getting at.

“The writer with a hard on for Edgar Allen Poe. You, my dear, like your boys dark and depressing.”

“Lucas isn’t depressing, he’s…”

“Oh my goodness.”

“What?”

“Would you look at that smile,” Franka teased. “He must be amazing in bed.”

“Franka! I only met him yesterday.”

“That’s completely irrelevant. Gary knocked me up before we went on our first date.”

“Oh my god…” Sidney laughed.

“Doctor Nyström! You’re needed!”

Sidney rushed towards the panicked voice and didn’t think about her upcoming date again until she looked at her watch and realised she was already fifteen minutes late for it. She quickly got changed and raced back towards exit to find Lucas leaning against the nurses’ station counter, deep in conversation with Franka.

“There she is,” Lucas beamed when he spotted her.

“Hey, sorry I’m late.”

“Perfectly alright. Franka’s been regaling me with stories about you.”

“She should really stop that. Now,” Sidney growled good-naturedly at her friend. Sidney glanced at Lucas’s long dark green coat and, taking it as an indication of the weather outside, began to unfold her small leather jacket.

“Here, let me.” Lucas took Sidney’s jacket and held it out for her. Sidney tried to repress a blush as she shrugged it on and felt Lucas’s fingers brush her neck. Franka was practically squealing in delight at the chivalrous display before her.

“Okay, you kids have fun now, use protection,” she grinned, practically shooing them towards the exit. Sidney turned around just before the doors to get an enthusiastic thumbs up from her friend.

“I’m so sorry about that,” Sidney said bashfully as they headed away from the hospital, the faintest air of awkwardness falling over them.

“Don’t worry about it. Hey, wanna see a magic trick?” he asked brightly.

“Sure.”

“Abracadabra!” he said, pulling a small cup of coffee from some hidden pocket in his coat.

“Bravo! Amazing!” Sidney clapped.

“For you, milady,” Lucas said with a small bow. “I wasn’t sure how you liked it but I figured at this point in your day caffeine is caffeine.”

“Thank you so much,” Sidney replied, sipping the coffee gratefully.

“My pleasure,” Lucas replied, unable to stop staring at her rose coloured lips.

 

A few hours and a few drinks later Lucas and Sidney stumbled, giggling, out of the elevator, towards Sidney’s apartment. Sidney hadn’t laughed so much in years. Her cheeks hurt from smiling so much but every time she so much as glanced at Lucas she’d be smiling again despite the pain.

“Thank you so much for today. I can’t remember the last time I had so much fun.”

“I’d love to do this again…”

“Same time tomorrow?”

Lucas smiled at her eagerness. “I’ve actually got a gig downtown tomorrow. How about dinner the day after?”

“It’s a date,” she smiled cheekily but then faltered, worrying if she had overstepped. Lucas erased her fears with a look, his tongue darting out over his lip hungrily. Silence fell over them and time seemed to slow, only to flood back as Lucas moved forwards, pressing his lips to hers.

_She whimpered at the contact, her hands clawing at his jacket, pulling him closer, revelling in the feel of the leather in her hands. He pressed her up against a tree, his hands sliding down to her hips. She moaned his name._

_“Loki…”_

Sidney froze up and pushed against the man’s chest, feeling nothing but cotton beneath her fingers, her brow crinkling at the sight of Lucas’s concerned expression.

“I’m sorry,” she muttered, moving away to fumble with her door. “This is going a little too fast…”

“Yeah, yeah… Of course.” Lucas stepped back, fidgeting nervously with his coat. “Sunday then?”

“Yes, Sunday,” Sidney replied adamantly, trying to reassure him. She needed a moment but she wasn’t about to let whatever weirdness that was ruin the first decent date she’d had in over a year any more than it already had. “I can’t wait.”

Sidney stepped inside her apartment and resisted the urge to smack her head against the door. _What the hell was that?_ Sidney wondered as she downed a glass of water and some aspirin. It had felt real, whatever it was. She shook it off as she prepared for bed, dismissing it as some weird waking dream brought on by tequila and jalapeño poppers, and eventually she slept.

Lucas didn’t. He was kept awake by images of a woman in a black dress, her lips soft against his. He wondered why he thought about her when he kissed Sidney. He wondered why Sidney had called him Loki. He wondered why that didn’t bother him in the slightest.


	4. Chapter 4

_In the days that followed Loki found himself thinking of Sigyn often, rubbing his arm absently and smiling at the memory of her fingers dancing over his skin. He had found out everything he could about her, as was his way. She had been a healer in a small village, working under her mother, but she was talented, too talented, and when word of her abilities reached the House of Odin she was “encouraged” to study at the Royal healing halls. Convinced he knew everything he needed to about the auburn haired healer he tried to forget her, but every time he looked down at his unblemished arm he was reminded of her. He needed to see her again, but without a valid reason for returning to the healing halls he had resigned himself to waiting for his oafish brother to injure himself again, as he was sure to do, and accompany him as any concerned brother would._

_Some weeks later the Norns smiled down on the prince, or so he thought, when he saw her again quite by accident. He had been riding through the forest early one morning when he felt the echoes of magic use. He traced it to his source and found Sigyn practising her craft, seemingly attempting to knock an apple off a tree stump with a blast of seiðr._

_“What are you doing?”_

_“Your majesty!” Sigyn cried, almost falling to the ground when her startled body instinctively moved to curtsey._

_“Please,” he said, dismounting and approaching her slowly, like he would any wild creature in a forest. “I did not mean to startle you. I felt your seiðr at work and simply wanted to see what you were doing.”_

_“Battle magic,” she stammered, attempting to compose herself. “I was trying to learn the basics of battle magic, your majesty. I have been told it would be expected of me to accompany the army on off-world engagements. I am not skilled with a blade but I would like to learn a way to defend myself.”_

_“I could teach you,” Loki replied, the words spilling forth before he had time to think about what he was offering, his selfish thoughts only concerning themselves with spending more time with her._

_“I would be honoured, your majesty,” Sigyn replied just as quickly, sealing their fates._

* * *

 

 

Lucas couldn’t stop thinking about the kiss and the reason Sidney stopped it. He couldn’t focus during rehearsals, not that his assistant, Tina, noticed for she was too doped up on cold and flu meds. He’d stopped rehearsals early and sent Tina home to get more rest before the performance that night, while he ducked out on the premise of grabbing a bite to eat. He walked to the park and bought a hotdog from a street vendor before settling in for some people watching. It was his own sort of stress relief; studying people as they walked passed him and figuring out how best to pickpocket them. His fingers itched to put his plans into motion but he hadn’t resorted to theft since he parted ways with his father. Sure, waiting tables hadn’t been the most stimulating way to earn a buck but at least it was legal and didn’t hurt anyone. His father hadn’t been above taking from the thinnest of fish, and Lucas would never be free of the look of absolute terror on a mark’s face when they realised they’d been robbed of their last dollar.

He took a few deep breaths as his eyes sought out pockets and watches, reminding himself that he’d rather be struggling on stage than robbing people blind.

 _Struggle is right,_ he grumbled to himself as he tried to get through the worst show of his short career. He’d only realised too late that Tina was still in no condition to perform, constantly wearing a ridiculous grin as she tried to curb her gag reflex. It then came to the point in the show where he was going to make her disappear. She’d stepped into the box and as soon as it was closed Lucas could hear her throwing up.

He needed to open the box and he could only hope that she had gotten the secret panel to spin, and that her mess didn’t reek so badly the audience noticed. He wanted her to be gone. He _needed_ her to be gone. His desire manifested in a static tingle in his chest that moved quickly down his arm, green sparks erupting from his fingertips as he placed his palm against the box. The audience was as startled as he was when both the front and back panels of the box flew off, landing on the stage with a thud. Then the audience cheered – Tina had most definitely vanished. Lucas stared down at his hand, watching the green sparks fade away. As he stared in awe he saw in his mind that same hand creating a rose from nothingness and handing it to the woman in the black dress. It shimmered out of existence at her touch and her laughter rang like a bell, and Lucas could feel his chest swelling with joy. The image faded and Lucas was alone on stage, the audience staring at him expectantly.

“My apologies ladies and gentlemen, something seems to have gone very wrong. My lovely assistant seems to have disappeared into another dimension. I shall have to attempt to retrieve her.”

Lucas’ conscious mind had very little idea what he was doing, but some other part, something at the very core of him was confident, cocky even, and had an overwhelming desire to put on a show. He spun the box and then leapt into the vortex, disappearing from view as the box turned. As it spun the audience gasped, seeing that it was clearly empty. A few rotations later and Lucas was spat back out, much to the delight of the audience. And then another Lucas fell onto the stage. And then another. The audience gasped as the three magicians regarded each other curiously.

“Wrong portal,” the first magician muttered as he dusted himself off.

“You think so?” the second asked sarcastically.

“I think it’s rather wonderful,” the third remarked. “More of me is always a good thing.”

“Sorry, but this stage isn’t big enough for the three of us.” The first magician picked up a metal hoop with a curtain of fabric attached to it and threw it over the second duplicate, who disappeared as the fabric fell to the ground.

The crowd cheered and shouted in their disbelief.

“You’re not getting rid of me like that!” the third cried, picking up the hoop and collapsing it in his hands until it became nothing more than handful of green fabric which the duplicate folded into his breast pocket.

“Come on now, you can’t stay here.”

“Alright, fine…” the third grumbled. “But I want to go out with a bang.”

“Okay… So… On the count of three we run at each other and combine our energies. Ready? One…”

“Two…”

“Three!”

The two magicians ran from opposite ends of the stage and as they crashed into each other the audience was blinded by sparks of green and gold. When the light faded, standing on the stage were Lucas and his dazed assistant. The crowd went wild.

As show was done Lucas helped Tina into a cab and then headed into the nearest bar to calm his nerves as his confident façade began to fade. He’d finished off a bottle of scotch but his head still felt clear as a bell. He conjured a hundred dollar bill and threw it down on the bar before making his way back to his apartment building. He was in desperate need of a doctor.


	5. Chapter 5

_Sigyn enjoyed learning from Prince Loki. He was, without a doubt, the greatest seiðr master in all of Asgard, if not the whole Nine. He taught her all he knew of battle magics, including the use of illusions. Sigyn was a fast study and got a thrill whenever her tutor praised her. She loved the way he smiled at her when she mastered an action immediately after being told it would be difficult, but whenever she caught him smiling at her he would stop and retreat from her, leaving Sigyn feeling upset and confused. When the day’s lesson was over and Sigyn was free from Loki’s intoxicating presence she would realise why she was upset: she was fooling herself. Spending time with the prince, working towards becoming as skilled as he was, made her feel like his equal when she was anything but. The prince had the good sense to remember that, and so should she. During their next lesson together Sigyn kept a respectable distance from her teacher and refused to be overly friendly, remaining serious and studious as she worked through the tasks he set her._

_“Have I done something to upset you?” Loki asked after he failed to engage her in conversation for the third time._

_“No, your majesty. Of course not.”_

_“Then tell me, please,” he said, his hand resting over hers. “What troubles you?”_

_Sigyn pulled away and moved out of his reach._

_“It isn’t right,” she muttered, as Loki tried to hide the pain of her rejection. “I find myself developing feelings for you that I have no right to. I cannot train with you anymore. I thank you for your time and beg your forgiveness for my inappropriateness.”_

_“Who dares tell you that you have no right to your feelings?” Loki asked, stopping the fleeing Sigyn in her tracks. “Would those same individuals deny me the right to my own, would they tear me down for caring for you?”_

_Her heart swelled at his words but at the same time her eyes filled with tears._

_“I am a commoner, and you a prince of Asgard. We can never be together.”_

* * *

 

 

Sidney, as always, was buried in her work and as such was too preoccupied to give her interaction with Lucas much more thought. She was counting down the minutes until the end of her shift when a disgruntled father walked into the emergency room with a screaming toddler. Just when she thought her head was going to split in half from the noise, one of the nurses approached her.

“Doctor, I need your help with a patient. I can’t get him to calm down.”

Sidney glanced over at the screaming toddler and his disinterested guardian and sighed. Though it was generally known that she would have preferred not to work with children Sidney couldn’t very well refuse to treat a patient.

“Hi, I’m Doctor Nyström. Can you tell me what happened?”

“Fell off a swing at the park. Hurt his arm. Been crying all afternoon,” the father grunted.

“What’s your name?” she asked the terrified little boy.

“It’s Dylan,” the nurse offered as the father hadn’t bothered to look up from his phone. “Mr Williams, if you’d like to come with me and start filling out some forms.”

Alone with the whimpering toddler, Sidney reached out and touched his bruise arm. He flinched and began screaming anew. Sidney winced sympathetically, wanting nothing more than ease her young patient’s pain. She cupped his face and tried to sooth him, the pad of her thumb wiping at his tears. She felt warmth spread through her body and pass to her patient, his skin glowing at the point of contact. Sidney was unafraid. She thought she should be but her breathing remained steady, the golden warmth in her palm strange yet familiar. When Sidney removed her hand Dylan had stopped crying and had calmed down considerably.

“You’re such a brave boy,” she praised. “Would you mind if I took a look at your arm now?”

The boy nodded and Sidney took his arm gently in her hands and she felt the warmth in her hands pass to Dylan. As it spread through his injured arm she could feel the bruised flesh and the fractured bones beneath, she could feel them healing under her touch. She could feel every second of pain he endured in the hours before he was finally taken to the hospital, and she knew exactly how he obtained his injuries. She gave her young patient her best smile and offered him a lollipop that she hadn’t had in her pocket a moment ago.

“How do you feel? Do you feel better?” Dylan, his mouth full of sugary goodness, nodded.

“What the hell are you giving my kid?” Dylan’s father barked angrily.

Sidney turned and stare down the raging bull of a man, her piercing glare nailing him to the spot.

“How did your son hurt his arm?”

“I already told you, he…”

Sidney arched an eyebrow, daring the man to keep lying to her. She watched as his face turned red as he tried to force the false words out but eventually the pressure became too much and the truth spilled out.

“I twisted his arm!”

“Why?” she asked calmly as a nurse scrambled to call security.

“Because…” he tried to fight Sidney’s influence, but he was helpless against her anger. “He’s a whiny little shit, just like his mother.”

The arrival of the hospital security guards diverted Sidney’s attention for a split second, but it was enough for Mr Williams to break free and lunge at Sidney. She extended an arm and the moment her fingertips made contact with his chest he was thrown across the room. When all eyes turned to her, Sidney was holding a small taser in her previously empty hand.

“I should probably check the voltage…” she mumbled lamely, before making herself scarce.

After the excitement in the emergency room Sidney felt drained and confused, though she was more concerned at her lack of concern over her sudden magical powers. It wasn’t normal, a part of her consciousness screamed. The other part, the majority, wasn’t overly fazed by her new abilities, but desperately wanted to know what her magician friend thought about them.


	6. Chapter 6

_Loki paced. He tried to focus on the couples dancing through the grand hall but his anxiety just grew as the night wore on. He knew what Sigyn had said was true, that there was no future for them, but every time he closed his eyes he saw her face. There was no denying it; he needed her like oxygen. He had sent her a letter after a week without seeing her had nearly driven mad. He put down, in ink that could only be read in the presence of her seiðr, how much she meant to him, how much he needed her, how he was willing to find away if she was. If…_

_He’d sent the letter along with a gold serpent band for her to wear around her neck should she decide to attend the solstice ball, a symbol to show him that she wanted to be with him too. He clenched his fists, his fingernails biting into his palms, and continued pacing. The ball was in full swing and Sigyn had yet to arrive. The fear that Sigyn might not feel the same way about him was gnawing a hole in his chest. No, Loki reassured himself. Sigyn cared for him, truly. But it was not a simple decision, he told himself. Sigyn had more to lose than he did. If their relationship was discovered Loki would be scolded and told to find more suitable companions. Sigyn would lose everything: her job, her home, her reputation. Was he even worth it?_

_A flash of red caught his eye and Loki froze, trying to keep his expression neutral as Sigyn appeared in the crowd. Her auburn hair shifted under the hovering lights, bespelled to mimic firelight. The vibrancy of her hair was countered with a simple yet daring_ [ _black dress_ ](http://fabfashionfix.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/VAL_1878.jpg) _, and curled around her throat was a golden serpent._

* * *

 

 

When Sidney returned home she didn’t need to flick on the lights to know that Lucas was already there, seated at her cluttered dining room table where not even a week earlier she had mended his injured hand the old fashioned way.

“I didn’t know where you lived,” he said quietly as she sat beside him. “The other day, when I asked for your help. My neighbour had mentioned there was a doctor in the building once, but he never told me which apartment she was in. Didn’t even tell me she was a she. But as soon as I hurt my hand I came down here, got out of the elevator… I didn’t even look at the apartment numbers. I just knew you’d be here.”

“I moved,” Sidney blurted. “I didn’t need to, but I happened upon the ad one day - I can’t remember why I was even looking - and I just had to move here. The universe wanted us to meet, it seems.”

“And then we did.”

“Yes… Did something strange happen to you today?” Sidney asked.

“I made my assistant disappear,” Lucas admitted. “For real. And then I created duplicates of myself. And then I made them disappear too. You?”

“I… healed a little boy’s broken arm in about three seconds, and then I threw his monster of a father across the room with a wave of my hand. …What the hell is happening to us?” she asked.

“Shhh…” Lucas gently held her head in his hands. “It’s going to be okay, Sidney. Don’t be scared.”

“I’m not scared. I’m freaking out because I’m not scared. Three days ago we’d never met, but I know you, Lucas. And I’m in love with you, I feel it in my bones – I love you!”

Lucas silenced her with a kiss, pulling her towards him as they stepped away from the table and began peeling off each other’s coats.

“I love you too. I’ve never been surer of anything in my life,” Lucas gasped between kisses as Sidney pulled him towards her bedroom. Her aim was off and she missed the doorway and Lucas pressed her against the wall as she fumbled with his belt buckle.

_She could feel the cold metal on her fingertips and across her chest. She hated his sparring armour – there were so many buckles, it took forever to get off. His hand found its way under her tunic and gently squeezed her breast. She moaned against his mouth._

_“Loki…”_

Sidney blinked and she was back in her darkened apartment, Lucas holding her against the wall.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know why that keeps happening,” she stammered, turning bright red at the thought of calling Lucas the wrong name twice now. She glanced up at him expecting him to be angry, instead he was smiling curiously at her. “What?”

“Sigyn,” he whispered adoringly as he pushed a few strands of her hair behind her ear. “My Sigyn.”

She flinched. It was like the last tumbler on a safe clicking into place and her memories started to trickle back. She didn’t have all of them yet, but she had enough.

“Loki!” she smiled, jumping into his arms, showering him with kisses as he carried her into the bedroom. “I remember you.”


	7. Chapter 7

_Sigyn’s heart raced as she left the ballroom, certain that the prince would follow her. She moved through the royal gardens, changing directions whenever she spotted some other couple seeking privacy. Eventually she found a secluded spot, pausing under a flowering tree. She felt his aura and turned to face the prince as he stepped out of the shadows. At the sight of him she gasped for breath, a mix of emotions – fear, excitement, anxiety, hope - threatening to overwhelm her._

_“Your majesty.”_

_“Sigyn…” the prince sensed her unease and moved towards her slowly. He glanced down at his hands and conjured a rose. Sigyn finally exhaled and smiled, reaching for it only for the rose to shimmer out of existence at her touch. Her laughter rang out like a bell and the prince smiled, his own heart near bursting with joy. He took her outstretched hand and stepped closer to her, leaning forward to kiss the lips he’d been dreaming about from the moment he first saw her._

_“Would you call me by my name? For I am certain no sound in all the Nine could compare.”_

_“Loki…” she whispered reverently, her fingertips tracing over his lips, proving to herself that this was no illusion._

_He kissed her again and stepped forward until her back was pressed against the trunk of the tree, keeping her there for as long as he could._

 

* * *

 

 

Loki and Sigyn, as they were now referring to each other, lay in Sigyn’s bed, intermittently talking and making love until the early morning sun began to stream in through the curtains.

“Do you remember our first time together?” Sigyn asked, a strange smile playing on her lips as the memory came to her.

“Mmm,” Loki answered by kissing her. “In your tiny apartment overlooking the fountain. I hated that fountain. I was so nervous, and the sound of that damn fountain had me rushing to empty my bladder before I could take you to bed.”

“You were so nervous,” Sigyn agreed, giggling.

“But you weren’t.”

Sigyn shook her head. “It had been months - months of sneaking around, months of stolen kisses – you were driving me crazy. I just wanted to rip your clothes off, but you seemed insistent on being a gentleman.”

“I thought you wanted a gentleman!” Loki laughed. “And I didn’t want to move too quickly. Our relationship being what it was, you always put me in mind of a deer, ready to bolt at the first sign of trouble. I was forever worried of scaring you away.”

Sigyn kissed him and shook her head. “You wouldn’t have scared me. You could have had me that first night in the gardens, I would not have denied you.”

“Now you tell me,” Loki growled playfully, pouncing on the squealing Sigyn.

“Loki!”

** *** **

It was well past midday and the pair were yet to leave Sigyn’s bed, though hunger was threatening to drive them from it.

“How did we come to be here, Loki?” Sigyn asked quietly as Loki stroked her hair.

“I don’t know,” Loki replied, sighing with frustration. “The memory’s there but I cannot access it.”

“We didn’t do it to ourselves, did we?” she asked, unnerving them both.

“It’s all right, Sigyn,” Loki replied, kissing her forehead again and again. “We’ll figure it out together.”

A grumble from Sigyn’s stomach broke their solemn mood.

“All right, I hear you,” she groaned, dragging herself out of bed.

“Where are you going?” Loki whined.

“I need food, but I need to shower before I can go and get food.”

“Don’t you have anything to eat here?”

“I’m an on-call ER doctor – I live on take out and wine. Do you have food in your apartment?”

“Broke magician,” he admitted, raising his hand. “I live on beer and street vendor food.”

“Ew,” Sigyn laughed. “Okay, so, shower, get changed, and then we’ll go get something to eat. And if we’re feeling really wild it might even be a sit-down meal at a real restaurant,” she teased as Loki followed her into the bathroom.

** *** **

A few hours later, after a somewhat romantic meal in an Italian restaurant down the block, Sigyn and Loki meandered back to their apartment building, Loki’s arm around Sigyn’s shoulders, hers around his waist.

“We’ve never done this before, have we?”

“Done what?” Loki asked.

“Just… walked together. Out in public.”

Loki paused and considered her words before leaning over and kissing her, ignoring the people pushing past them on the sidewalk.

“We’ve never done that before, either,” he said breathlessly, smirking at the blushing Sigyn. They continued walking, but the closer they got to the apartment building, the less at ease Loki felt. He felt eyes watching him and it wasn’t until the sky began to darken that Loki knew he wasn’t just being paranoid.


	8. Chapter 8

_In order to keep seeing her, Loki implored Sigyn to continue with her lessons, though eventually he began taking on other students as well to stave off rumours of their involvement. They would meet in secret whenever they could and Loki often took to disguising himself so that he could visit with Sigyn in her apartment._

_As the years went by they convinced themselves that what they had was normal, and that nothing could harm them. This belief was tested the day Loki’s betrothal was announced._

_“I won’t do it!” Loki shouted as he paced Sigyn’s small living quarters, which had long been bespelled to hide Loki’s presence. “How dare he make such arrangements without my consent!”_

_“He is king of Asgard, and you its prince. It was inevitable,” Sigyn replied no louder than a whisper, as all her energy was put into not shattering in Loki’s presence._

_“No,” Loki replied vehemently, going to her side, holding her tightly. “No, I don’t believe that, Sigyn. Not for a second. If anything,_ we _were inevitable.”_

_Sigyn shook her head and tried to pull away, wishing Loki would leave her so she could begin grieving. “You are a prince of Asgard,” she repeated, tearfully. “And you have a duty to your realm. You will marry the princess and strengthen the alliance between our neighbours.”_

_“I will not marry her, Sigyn. I will marry none but you. I would marry you,” he added distractedly as an idea started to form. “Sigyn, do you love me? Tell me truly,” he begged._

_Sigyn wanted to lie, wanted to make him leave, but she couldn’t do it. She broke down and sobbed against his chest._

_“I love you, Loki. With all that I am.”_

_Loki reached down and ripped the ties from Sigyn’s smock. He then conjured a blade and cut into the palm of his own hand before reaching for Sigyn’s. She gave it to him without hesitation and didn’t flinch as the cold metal pierced her flesh. Loki joined their hands and bound them with the thin strips of fabric. He pressed her hand against his chest and asked her to move closer so that she could do the same, her forehead resting against his as he whispered his vows to her._

_“Sigyn, I love you, with all that I am, and with bound hands and twinned hearts I pledge myself to thee by the ancient laws of the World’s Tree.” Once Sigyn had repeated the vows they shared a trembling breath as they felt magic flow through their joined hands, a magic far more ancient and powerful than anything they had experienced before. “From this moment forward our souls are entwined, destined to meet again and again, until the end of time itself. Asgard no longer has claim to me for I am yours, Sigyn,” Loki assured her, taking her face in his hands and kissing his bride. Sigyn kissed him back and, as Loki led her to bed, tried to push back the fear that this would be the last time they would be together._

 

* * *

 

 

A bright light split the sky, depositing the golden son of Asgard in the middle of the street. Most people were startled by the strangeness they were seeing and fled, others held up their phones to record the moment the Norse gods returned to the world. The god of thunder strode towards his brother, his signature red cape billowing behind him. Loki gripped Sigyn’s hand tightly as his seiðr shimmered over his form, replacing his Midgardian clothes with his green and gold battle armour.

“Do you remember our battle magic lessons?” he asked quietly.

“Like it was yesterday.”

Sigyn cloaked herself in her own seiðr, giving herself armour the likes of which she remembered the Lady Sif wore, though her own tunic was dark green and her breastplate forged of blackened steel.

“Brother… I don’t suppose it’s a coincidence that you arrive the day after my memories started returning.”

“Father wants you home, Loki.”

“And you always do what father says, don’t you. If you had an original thought I fear your mind would explode from the stress.”

The sky opened up and troops of Asgardian soldiers appeared behind Thor, all dressed for battle, all ready to take him back to his father, whatever the civilian cost. It was in that moment, when Loki imagined being dragged before the throne, that he remembered how he and Sigyn came to be on Midgard without their memories. He remembered what would transpire if they were forced to return, and he remembered why they must never go back.

“Sigyn, run,” Loki whispered.

“What?”

“Run,” he repeated desperately.

“Not without you.”

“I would not run if I were you, Sigyn,” Thor warned, his eyes still fixed on Loki. “You too are to return to Asgard with me, to face the Allfather’s judgement.”

Sigyn growled and spat on the ground.

“That’s what I think of your precious Allfather.”

Ignoring Loki’s warnings Sigyn let fly a blast of seiðr. Thor moved to block the attack with his hammer, but Sigyn, remembering the elder prince too well, had anticipated his lazy defence and commanded her magic to move around Mjolnir, like a flock of birds turning in the air. The energy blast hit the crown prince square in the chest and sent him flying, landing with a thud half a block down the street.

“He always did rely on that blasted hammer too much,” Sigyn muttered with some small measure of satisfaction. Loki didn’t revel in her momentary victory, but noticed the way all eyes turned to the fallen prince and took Sigyn’s hand in his once more.

“Now we can run.”

Loki bolted in the opposite direction of the Asgardians, running faster than any mortal could hope to, pulling Sigyn behind him. They turn a corner and were wearing their Midgardian clothes once again. They crossed the street and took on the appearances of two passers-by, repeating the trick every block or two. By the time they reached the park, the same park in which they had almost crossed paths in barely a week prior, they had seemingly traded appearances: Sigyn now appeared to be pale with long black hair, and black clothes, and Loki now sported an unkempt red mane, the beginnings of a beard, and day old beer stained jeans and a t-shirt.

“If we can make it to that clearing, and you can fend off the soldiers, I should be able to forge a portal, get us out of the city. And with a bit more breathing space I should be able to shield us from Heimdall and get us out of the realm.”

Loki had no sooner said the words than the Bifrost sent five more troops of soldiers to surround them. Loki tried to conjure a portal whilst Sigyn kept the soldiers from advancing. It was a risky move in such close quarters, as unwanted things (and people) had a habit of being sucked in before the destination could be fixed, but Loki was desperate and was caring less and less for collateral damage as the seconds ticked by. A flash of metal drew his attention to his feet where a small circular device skidding to a stop. He recognised it immediately and soon realised he was circled by them, and that Sigyn was just outside their radius.

“No!” he screamed, pulling Sigyn inside the circle just before the force field was activated, singeing the tips of her boots. The soldiers advanced on the trapped lovers and Loki thrashed against the fiery barrier, screaming obscenities at his would-be captures.

“Loki! Stop!” Sigyn pulled him away from the barrier and kissed him, holding him close. “I’ll love you forever,” she whispered tearfully.

“Nononono,” Loki pleaded. “We’re not done yet, my love. He hasn’t won. Not yet.”

“I’ll love you forever,” she repeated firmly, unable to stop her tears from falling. “I swear it.”

“I swear,” Loki stammered. “I swear by our twinned hearts there will never be another. I love you, Sigyn.”

The space within the force field was bombarded with energy until its occupants passed out from the pain. Their unconscious bodies were quickly restrained and their seiðr bound, though it took fifteen minutes to unclasp their joined hands.


	9. Chapter 9

_“Allfather, I would have a word with you in private.”_

_The Allfather regarded his son warily before dismissing his guards._

_“What is it, Loki?”_

_“I cannot marry Princess Rǫskva.”_

_“You can and you will. It is your duty as a prince of Asgard,” the king replied wearily._

_“My duty is to my heart, and it already belongs to another. You would have known this had you bothered to consult me before offering my hand without my consent.”_

_“I have known of your dalliance for some time. It is of no consequence; your duty remains and you will marry Princess Rǫskva before the year is out.”_

_“I will not!”_

_“You will!”_

_“I have already wed Sigyn,” Loki shouted over him, holding up his hand for Odin to see the cut on his palm, the mark of his vows. “By the laws of the World’s Tree. Sigyn is my soul mate, I will take no other as my wife.”_

_“The laws of the World’s Tree are ancient, forgotten by most and thought of as folktales by the rest. What makes you think such vows will sway my decision? You are prince of Asgard and I will not have the future of my line be squandered on a commoner.”_

_Something in the tone of Odin’s voice caused Loki to flinch. “What did you do?”_

_“Your precious healer has been banished from the Realm Eternal. You will never see her again.”_

_“Where have you sent her?!”_

_“Take comfort in the fact that she still retains her life and a modicum of freedom, both of which can be taken from her if you refuse to obey your king.”_

_“You think you can manipulate me like this without consequence, you are sorely mistaken. If you force me to marry the Vanir princess I will never consummate it, I will never give Asgard heirs, and I will make her life a living hell until she has no choice but to tell her father of her mistreatment at the hands of the Asgardians.”_

_“You would start a war over this Sigga?”_

_“Sigyn! And, yes! Every moment not spent thwarting you, I will spend searching for her, and the moment I find her we will be disappear out of your reach.”_

_“You will never find her,” Odin assured his son, but Loki could hear the slightest hint of doubt in his voice._

_“Our souls are bound. I will always find her.”_

_The old king gazed down at his impudent son and sighed. “Very well, let us have a wager. I will send you both to Midgard, without your memories, and you will have ten of Midgard’s years in which to find each other again. If you fail, you will marry the princess.”_

_“And if I win?” Loki asked._

_“If you win, if this peasant is truly your soulmate… I shall not stand in your way. Are you we agreed?”_

 

* * *

 

Loki struggled against his bonds as he was dragged before the Allfather. His chains were pulled suddenly, knocking him to his knees before his father. Loki scowled and promptly spat at the throne.

“I take it you remember everything,” Odin sighed.

“I remember a wager. A wager I won. I found Sigyn; she is my soul mate. Let us go so we may never set eyes on you or this retched place again.”

“No.”

Loki chuckled sadly. “I knew… I knew you wouldn’t keep your word.”

“Then why agree to the wager?”

“For the same reason you suggested it: To buy time. I knew my memories would not be lost forever, unfortunately I didn’t get access to the ones I needed before it was too late. What do you propose to do with us now?”

“You will marry the princess.”

“No!”

“You will, Loki. You are a prince of the realm and you will do your duty!”

“I will not!” Loki screamed, lunging as far as his chains would allow him. “I will not marry any but Sigyn. The second you lower your guard I will be by her side and then we will disappear.”

“So I will simply have to kill her.”

Loki was silent for a moment before breaking out into bitter laughter.

“You don’t think I will do it?” Odin asked.

“No. No, I know you will do it, and you must know that the moment you do your life is forfeit.”

“You would be struck down before you reached me.”

“Good. Then I shall seek Sigyn out in Valhalla.”

“And if you somehow succeed and kill me? What then?”

“Then I shall kill myself and travel Helheim until I find a way to her,” he replied flatly before flashing his father a toothy grin. “There is no version of events that does not end with my beloved by my side. There is no version where I do not find her. Our souls are bound - I will always find her.”

Odin shook his head wearily. “You will never be together. I will have her imprisoned for the rest of her days, and you will be married to Princess Rǫskva, even if it is in name only. You will be locked away in the darkest caverns of the realm, your soul trapped in your unconscious body until the end of days, never to be reunited with your precious Sigga.”

“Sigyn! Her name is Sigyn!” Loki screamed and thrashed against his chains as the guards tried to pull him back. Odin rose and aimed Gungnir at his son’s chest. A second later the great hall was silent.

*** ** ***

Loki woke to the sound of Sigyn whimpering. His eyes shot open and he struggled to stand. It took him a moment to realise his hands had been bound in seiðr dampening shackles, which had been fixed to floor. He screamed and thrashed as he watched the guards drag a beaten and bloodied Sigyn into the cell opposite him, raising the cell barriers after dumping her barely consciousness form on the ground. Loki watched helplessly as Sigyn closed her tear-filled eyes, calling her name as she passed out, pulling on his restraints until they cut into his wrists.

“Why?” he sobbed, shifting as close to the electrified barrier as the heavy chain would allow, just so he could be that little bit closer to Sigyn.

“The Allfather ordered it,” a guard advised as he stepped over to Loki’s cell, sneering at him. “He ordered she be beaten before the court, to serve as a reminder to those among the lower classes not to get ideas above their stations. She will remain here for the rest of her life, and you, after watching her suffer through the week, will be married and then taken to the deepest, darkest, pit the Allfather knows of.” The guard paused then, his eyes roaming over the broken prince, trying to answer a question he had kept to himself for some time. “I knew she was involved with someone, but if I had known it was you I would have tried harder to sway her from her foolishness.”

Loki glared at the guard, trying to place him. He could not, but had to assume he was one of the men who had expressed an interest in Sigyn over the years, only to be politely turned away.

“Lovers are not known for their sense,” Loki replied, purely to taunt the man further, grinning ferally when he received the desired reaction.

“The Allfather commanded that no man was to strike you, that watching the woman you would condemn the realm for suffer was to be your punishment.”

“And you wish to defy your king?” Loki smirked, mentally begging the guard to enter his cell.

“I’m not going to strike you,” the guard replied flatly, stepping over to the nearby control panel for Loki’s high security cell. “But I will do everything else within my power to make you suffer.”

The guard stood before Loki’s cell, waiting until sweat began to bead on his forehead before he continued on his rounds. As the hours ticked by Loki’s cell became as hot as any forge, and the shackles that bound him burned his wrists, but still he never faltered, never moved from his seat by the barrier, his weary eyes fixed on Sigyn’s chest, watching for each pained breath. Nightfall came, and with it came a shift change amongst the guards. Before his newest tormenter left the prison he altered the settings for Loki’s cell and the temperature dropped below freezing in seconds.

“Good night, your majesty,” the guard chirped happily. “I’ll see you in the morning, if you haven’t frozen to death by then.”

As his body shivered, internally Loki raged, his thoughts spewing venom at his father, at the guard, even at his could-do-no-wrong brother who had met his father’s expectations, as he always did, and courted a woman of equal standing. A pained whimper from Sigyn sent him hurtling towards the edge of madness as he cursed all who conspired against them, all who would deny them such simple happiness. He would destroy them, he would make them suffer…

“Loki.”

Loki’s mind snapped back to the present at the sound of Sigyn’s coarse whisper, fearing for a moment he had imagined it.

“It was Eir.”

“What?”

“It was Eir. She told the Allfather about us.”

“How did she find out?”

“You did always have a habit of sneaking into the healing halls when you thought I was alone.” Loki tried to smile at the memory, but it was too painful now. “She didn’t say anything at first, figuring the prince was just having his way with the help, but…”

“But what?”

“But when she discovered I was pregnant she had to tell the Allfather.”

Loki felt the wind get knocked out his lungs. A thousand questions flew through his mind. He tried to keep them all at bay and let Sigyn continue.

“Guards came and dragged me before the Allfather. They held me down and Eir forced me to drink a potion which would terminate the pregnancy. She said it was for my own good. The Allfather said he was going to banish me, send me somewhere I could not return from, and that I would never see you again.”

Loki shook with rage, hot tears streaming down his face.

“I’m so sorry, Sigyn…”

“No, it’s not your fault,” she whispered groggily, consciousness escaping her. “Odin...”

In that moment of pure rage Loki felt something shift deep within him, and he noticed for the first time that he no longer felt the cold. He glanced down at his hands and watched on curiously as they started turning blue. Despite the strangeness of it, it felt natural to Loki. He clenched his fists experimentally, his mind racing as his hands and shackles became covered in a thin layer of frost. He focused his newfound ability, in much the same way he would have his seiðr, and soon they were encrusted with ice, the intense cold causing the metal warp and crack. Loki, growling as the truth behind his ability became apparent to him, shattered the brittle shackles and then turned his attention to the entrance to his cell. He didn’t bother with the force field, moving to the corner closest to the control panel and striking at the wall itself. With an ice covered arm he punched at the ancient rock wall until it began to crumble under the strength of his assault. Before long Loki broke through the wall, the damage causing the barrier to fail. He stepped out of his prison cell, his formally flawless skin now a vivid blue marred by dark, raised lines, and his eyes as red as the Asgardian blood he wished to spill. Loki ignored the guards that cautiously approached him for he had the powers of a seiðr master, the strengths of a Frost Giant, and the primal rage of a son betrayed; there was no power in the realm that could stand between him and that which he deserved, starting with his beloved. With a wave of his hand the main control panel froze over, Loki then ripped it from the wall, ignoring the ravenous shouting of the newly freed prisoners, and the panicked cries of the guards. He crossed over to Sigyn’s cell and conjured a portal at the back wall before kneeling down beside her, picking up her crumpled form up as though she were weightless, and disappearing into the void.


	10. Chapter 10

_When Sigyn was dragged through the Bifrost’s light, Loki made to run to her but was held back by two armed guards and no small amount of the Allfather’s magic. Loki screamed her name but she was too weak, too close to unconsciousness, to even raise her head to acknowledge him. Sigyn was wearing the same smock Loki had removed the day before when they consummated their union, though it was much worse for wear, as was she. Her exposed skin had turned a painful shade of red and her cracked lips bled, as did her feet and hands. Loki seethed with rage and tore his gaze away from her to glare at Odin._

_“Where did you send her?”_

_“To an abandoned settlement in Muspelheim.”_

_“Muspelheim? Without her seiðr? She could have died!”_

_“That was a distinct possibility, yes.”_

_“For mercy’s sake, allow her to heal herself!” Loki begged, struggling to move to her side._

_With a wave of his hand Odin restored some of Sigyn’s seiðr, and watched unfeelingly as she fell to the ground and the wave of energy surged through her. Sigyn gasped and cried out in agony despite her dry, raw throat, as her seiðr attacked her wounds. She conjured a flagon of water and struggled to hold it, upending the contents onto the floor, whimpering as the broken skin on her hands came in contact with the cool liquid. She conjured another and poured most of it over her head before drinking what remained. She hurled the metal flagon towards the Allfather and was dragged to her feet for her insolence._

_“Now that you’re on the mend, we shall discuss why you’re here? My son,” he said somewhat venomously, “claims that he loves you, that you are his soul mate,” he growled out. “So I proposed a wager. I shall send the two of you to Midgard, without your memories, and will give you ten Midgardian years in which to find each other. If you truly are soul mates, bound by the Tree, it won’t even take you half that time. If you fail,” he added, placing a finger under Sigyn’s chin to force her to look him in the eye. “Loki will be married to Princess Rǫskva, and you will be put to death.”_

_“No!” Loki screamed, thrashing against the guards who held him._

_“Do you agree to the terms, healer?” Odin continued, ignoring his son’s impassioned pleas. “Do you wish to stake your life on this foolishness?”_

_Sigyn gathered her strength and spat at Odin’s feet._

_“Our souls are bound; we will always find each other. Neither your will nor your magic has the strength to keep us apart.”_

_Loki barked with laughter at his beloved’s rage, so long repressed._

_“We shall see,” Odin replied, nodding to the solemn Gatekeeper to open the Bifrost to Midgard._

 

* * *

Odin sat upon his golden throne, trying to ignore the growing migraine that Loki’s escape, and the continuing tirade of King Roderic of Vanaheim, was giving him.

“I assure you, everything within my power is being done to find him.”

“This son of yours disobeys your orders at every turn and causes chaos wherever he goes. Alliance or not, he is not worthy of my daughter.”

“Then I shall my eldest son shall take his place.”

“Father!” Thor exclaimed from his place at Odin’s right hand side. “You cannot, I am already promised to Lady Sif.”

“That is an arrangement easily broken. The alliance with Vanaheim takes precedence.”

“This isn’t fair, father. Sif and I have been betrothed for years – I love her!”

“It is of no consequence!” Odin shouted back. “Your brother abandoned his duties for similar nonsense – I will not be disobeyed by both my sons. You will marry Princess Rǫskva, and our alliance will be assured.”

The Vanir king appeared delighted with the new arrangement, but Thor was anything but.

“Finally, you understand some small measure of my pain, brother.”

All eyes turned to Loki, who had appeared out of thin air in the middle of the throne room, still dressed in the remnants of his Midgardian clothes. The guards surrounded him, swords drawn, but with a mere flexing of his muscles Loki sent them all sprawling, pinning them to the walls. With a small wave of his hand all the entry points into the throne room were sealed and the guards rendered silent, focusing his attention on the golden dais, where the three royals found themselves unable to move.

“You fled to Midgard with your wench, defying father and condemning Asgard, and now your selfishness will cost me everything!” Thor roared.

“Is that what he told you?” Loki laughed bitterly, slowly making his way forward as though he had all the time in the world. “I had been courting Sigyn in secret for almost a century when Odin decreed that I was to marry another. So I beat him to it, and bound myself to Sigyn by the ancient laws of Yggdrasil.When I told him this he said it was of no consequence. He had sent Sigyn to Muspelheim to die, so I would no longer be distracted by her,” Loki spat, the temperature of the hall dropping with every step he took towards Odin. “And when I swore that I would never take another as my bride, Odin proposed a wager – Odin sent us to Midgard so that we could prove our bond.”

Thor glanced at his father to gauge the truth of Loki’s words, but Odin’s blank stare revealed nothing.

“How did we do, hm?” Loki asked, teasingly. “Even without our memories, and an entire ocean between us, it still took us less than ten years to find ourselves in each other’s arms. Sigyn and I won your wager but you refused to uphold your promise. Such an honourable king Asgard has,” he sneered.

“You are a prince of Asgard,” Odin stated calmly, all his strength focused on breaking Loki’s hold on him. “It is your duty to act in the best interests of the realm, not forsake it for the warmth between some woman’s thighs. You are my son…”

“I AM NOT!” Loki roared, his skin changing to Jotun blue, frost spreading across the floor.

“Loki, what is the meaning of this?” Thor stammered, unsure what to make of the strange sight before him.

“Yes, Odin, what is the meaning of this?” Loki growled. “And know that for every lie that falls from your lips the ice will spread. Your survival, and that of everyone in this room, depends on your honesty.” Loki watched the Allfather with his blood-red eyes, the aging king’s features contorted into a grim countenance, his hands going white with anger as they gripped his throne. “What am I?”

“Jotun,” Odin hissed, ignoring the shock of the others in the throne room.

“And how did I come to be in Asgard, in your family?”

“I found you, after the great war. You were the bastard son of Laufey, left to die.” Loki growled but held back, for he could sense no lies. “I took you to save you. You were an innocent child.”

Ice spread across the floor, inching closer and closer to where Thor and Roderic were standing.

“What more than that?”

“I thought we could unite our kingdoms one day, bring about an alliance, but Jotunheim is beyond reasoning…”

“And still you sought to use me advance your political standing.”

“Yes.”

Loki stepped closer to the dais, raising himself up on a pillar of ice so he could look Odin in the eye.

“Why did you force Eir to terminate Sigyn’s pregnancy?” he demanded, his voice low and full of pain. “Why would you deny us a child?”

“She would not have survived it. It was for her own safety.”

Loki fumed and the throne room was engulfed in a thick layer of frost, barely leaving enough of the guards’ bodies exposed to permit them to breathe.

“Liar,” Loki growled, his voice an octave lower. “You wished me to give Asgard heirs with the Vanir princess, why not Sigyn? Tell me!”

Odin grit his teeth against the truth but the stuttered pleas of his half frozen son freed his tongue.

“She is not worthy! She is nothing! She deserved to die on that boiling realm for the trouble she caused me!”

Loki recoiled, the ice retreating with him. Loki looked upon the man he had known as his father with renewed disgust and pity.

“You would deny my happiness because of your pathetic discriminations, all the while knowing Asgard would consider my true form monstrous. Mother would be disgusted with you.” Odin riled at the mention of his long dead wife, but Loki would not give him a moment to retaliate. “Renounce me.”

“Loki, no,” Thor begged.

“Renounce me,” Loki demanded. “In front of all these witnesses, renounce me as your son, as a prince of Asgard. Do it!”

“I renounce you. I deem you unworthy of the name Odinson, and you are hereby banished from the Realm Eternal, never to return.”

Loki allowed himself to relax ever so slightly. A huge weight had been lifted from him, but a modicum of fear remained.

“Sigyn and I no longer concern you. And if you should break your word again, seek recompense, or if any harm should befall Sigyn, I shall visit upon Asgard and her allies such torment and desolation, the likes of which have never been seen.” Odin, after a half a moment’s contemplation, nodded in agreement. Loki stepped back towards the centre of the throne room, sparing a final glance at the one he had called brother for so many years. “Good luck, Thor. I fear you shall need it.”

And with that, Loki vanished into a small portal, his hold on the guards and the royals relinquished, leaving them confused and bitter, standing in an ankle high layer of ice and snow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some people have been commenting on how much of a bastard Odin is in this fic, and wondering why Frigga hasn't knocked some sense into him. Such thoughts occurred to me as I was writing it, and when I realised I had made no mention of Frigga I decided to keep it that way. In this chapter I have hinted that Frigga has already passed away, my thinking is many, many years ago, leaving no one to keep Odin's dickishness in check.


	11. Chapter 11

_Lucas Doyle woke up in cheap motel room with the worst hangover of his life. His father had taken their latest score and disappeared, leaving Lucas alone to contemplate his future at the bottom of a pint glass. And another one, and another one. Somewhere between pints five and six he’d decided enough was enough, and in the painful light of day he was even more certain that his future wasn’t to be found treading the cobblestoned laneways of London. He packed his few belongings and his fake passport and took the tube to the airport. He glanced up at the departures board and, after a moments musing, decided that his destiny lay in the colonies and booked the first available flight to New York._

* * *

 

 

Sigyn blinked in the grey afternoon light, trying to remember where she was. Terrified by the memory, she sat bolt upright but found she was no longer in a cell, but a modestly furnished bedroom. As she swung her legs over the side of the bed she winced at the tightness in her muscles ; she could still feel her seiðr working to repair her bruised flesh but the worst of her injuries had been healed. She stood on unsteady feet and walked to the door, stepping out into an unfamiliar house. A fire spat and crackled in the large hearth, a flagon of spiced ale sitting on a small table beside it. Whilst the house was kept warm, Sigyn, wearing a light nightdress and nothing else, shivered. She picked up a thick wool blanket off a dark green sofa and threw it around her shoulders as she continued moving through the house. Through a window she spied a familiar silhouette and rushed, as fast as her aching limbs would permit her, to the front door, beside which were a pair of fur lined boots in her size. She slipped her feet into them and stepped out into the frigid winter air.

She found her beloved standing out in the cold in a tunic and trousers, so deep in thought that he didn’t notice her until she placed her hand on his shoulder.

“Loki?”

His surprise instantly gave way to relief and he pulled Sigyn into his arms, peppering her face with kisses.

“Not that I’m not happy to see you up and about, Sigyn, but I must insist you return to bed. You’re still healing, you need your rest.”

“I feel like I’ve already slept for a year.”

“It’s only been three days.”

“Three days…” she murmured, creasing her brow as she tried to recall what transpired. “The last thing I remember is being in the cell opposite you. What happened – where are we?”

“Iceland,” Loki replied somewhat cheekily.

“Iceland?” Sigyn giggled, glancing about at her surroundings with renewed interest. “How did we get to Iceland? How did we get to Midgard?”

“I… I broke us out of our cells, and brought you here. And then I went back to Asgard and confronted Odin one last time and made him renounce his claim on me. But the Allfather’s official version of events is that we have been banished.”

“No,” Sigyn shook her head. “You’re leaving too much out. How did you finally get Odin to hear reason, and how in the world did you escape your cell – your powers were bound.”

“My Æsir powers,” Loki replied quietly, not able to look Sigyn in the eyes.

“I don’t understand.”

Loki bit his lip as he got his thoughts in order, trying to ignore the terror that gripped his heart.

“I confronted Odin in his own hall as he was trying to appease the Vanir king. I revealed to all in Odin’s court that day a truth Odin has kept from the realm for over a thousand years…”

“And that is?”

“I am not Odin’s son by birth. I am Laufeyson – I am a frost giant.”

Sigyn laughed and covered her mouth, delight evident in her expression. Loki stared at her as though she had lost his mind.

“What did you expect my reaction to be? Did you fear I would be devastated to learn you do not share blood with that… that tyrant?” Sigyn stammered, her anger rising just thinking about Odin and the many ways he had wronged them.

“And what about who I do share blood with? Do you care about that?” he asked desperately, on the verge of tears. He’d imagined this conversation a thousand times, and a thousand times Sigyn had left him. Sigyn could see his terrified thoughts and her heart broke for him. She reached out to touch his cheek and watched as he struggled not to flinch.

“Loki…” Sigyn shook her head sadly. “Our souls are bound, through this life and all that follow. In the face of eternity do you really think my love for you would hinge on something as inconsequential as biology?”

Loki gave Sigyn a small smile and took her hand in his, but his mind was still elsewhere, wandering in shadows.

“I know it will take time to properly process everything, but I need you to believe that I’m not going to walk away – and I’m not going to let you walk away,” she added meaningfully, for she knew how Loki’s mind worked. “Now, come inside. It’s going to start snowing any minute.”

Loki smirked and glanced up at the darkening sky. “Frost Giant, remember. I don’t notice the cold.”

“Well, I do. And Frost Giant or not I’m still going to need you to keep me warm, husband. Now, come inside,” she insisted, tugging gently on his arm. Loki laughed softly and smiled, letting his wife lead him inside where they curled up beside the fire for their first night together, free from fear and deceptions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys, I know a lot of you were hoping to see Odin get his just desserts :/ I hope it's not too much of an anticlimax for you. xoxox


	12. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's all she wrote. Thanks for reading. xoxox

Loki pulled his small boat up to the jetty and tied it off, taking with him only a small container that held the afternoon’s catch. An ominous rumble drew his gaze skyward. He tensed ever so slightly and made his way up the rocky beach as the clouds parted for the blinding light of the Bifrost.

Against the grey landscape Thor’s brilliant red cape was an unwelcome eyesore. Loki magically traded the container in his hand for a dagger and greeted the interloper with a scowl. Thor held up his empty hands and Loki was honestly surprised to find his former brother unarmed, not even his famed hammer hanging from his belt.

“I knew Odin wouldn’t leave us be forever, but I had hoped it would be a few more decades before you decided to bother us.”

“Father… My father,” Thor quickly corrected. “My father did not send me, Loki. Odin… has passed.”

“Ha!” Loki spat mirthlessly. “And you’ve come to advise me of your new title. That’s very considerate of you, King Thor. Oh no, wait,” he continued, seeing Thor shift uncomfortably. “You’ve come to welcome me back to the Realm Eternal now that my former tormentor has finally seen fit to let go of his grip on the golden throne.”

“The thought had crossed my mind. I know I do not deserve your forgiveness, Loki, but it will not stop me from seeking it. Father died a bitter, unloved wretched of a man – I wish to avoid his fate. My first act as king was to reverse your banishment and pardon all charges against you, you and Sigyn. Asgard will welcome you back, if you so wish.”

“There is nothing for me there, Thor,” Loki replied quietly and without malice. “But the thought is appreciated.”

The pair regarded each other for a moment, Thor offering his former brother a small smile.

“You seem different, Loki. It seems the quiet life agrees with you.”

“Some days inner peace is easier to find than others,” Loki admitted. An uncomfortable silence threatened to fall over them and Thor made to return to the Bifrost site. “Since you travelled all this way,” Loki found himself saying. “Would you share a meal with us?”

“That depends – will Sigyn invite me in or will I be greeted with a blast of seiðr to the chest?” Thor asked with a smile.

“Well, I for one am looking forward to finding out,” Loki teased.

The pair approached the small house in the centre of the island, its timber boards ravaged by the elements leaving little of the original paintwork visible. Thor regarded the humble abode curiously, his eyebrows rising higher once he stepped inside; it appeared to be one open room, cramped and cluttered despite the minimal furniture, as plain and as well-worn as its façade.

“It’s alright, Sigyn,” Loki called, to where Thor could not figure, for there was nowhere for a person to hide. “Thor is just paying us a friendly visit and hopes to join us for dinner.”

Suddenly the illusion dropped and Thor found himself in the entrance way of a grand home, three times as large as the illusion, made from warm timbers and full of plush furnishings.

“And here I was beginning to think you had resigned yourself to a simple existence, brother,” Thor cried, almost doubling over with laughter at the deception. “Simple life, indeed,” he remarked, his admiring an ornately carved dining chair.

“I drew the line at gilt ceilings and marble flooring,” Sigyn commented, stepping out of a bedroom off the main living area.

“Lady Sigyn,” Thor quickly sobered and bowed respectfully despite his title. “Well met. If anyone can keep Loki humble, it is you.”

“Well met, Thor,” Sigyn replied stiffly. “To what do we own this honour?”

“The Allfather has died,” Loki informed her cheerfully.

“I’ll get the champagne.”

** *** **

They drank and made small talk well into the night, the mood remaining pleasant for the most part.

“Sif and I married before my coronation.”

“Really?”

“Aye, and Sif is expecting our first child this coming summer.”

“Congratulations, Thor,” Loki replied with only the slightest hint of bitterness. Sigyn remained silent.

“And what of you two? It’s been almost twenty years, I had expected to find a half a dozen magically inclined children running around, causing chaos and mischief,” Thor smiled, but it was not returned.

“We tried, but I cannot bear Loki’s children,” Sigyn replied quietly. She walked over to Loki and kissed the top of his head as he squeezed her hand. “Maybe next lifetime,” she added quietly before excusing herself.

“I am sorry, Loki. Once again I spoke without thinking.”

“It is alright, Thor. We have had years to deal with it, and most days it doesn’t worry us. We have each other and that is enough.”

“But you could have more,” Thor offered cautiously. “There are other options, surely.”

“Such as?” Loki asked, the venom in his voice barely contained.

“Adoption?”

“Adopt a Midgardian child? Do you wish us to suffer further? Could you imagine anything crueler than watching your children grow old and die in a mere matter of years?”

“I did not say Midgardian, Loki. There are still many families without homes following the civil wars that occurred after Father’s deception was revealed. And many children without parents. You needn’t decide in this moment, talk it over with Sigyn. I wish for nothing more than your happiness, and if I can do anything to improve upon it, I shall.”

With that Thor drained his ale and left Loki at his table, staring into space, paralysed by the hope Thor had given him. Eventually he too finished his drink and went to bed, holding Sigyn close to him, deliberating whether to offer this terrifying hope to her as well.

** *** **

The next time Loki and Sigyn saw Thor step out of the brilliant flash of the Bifrost, he brought with him a small girl with inky black hair down to her waist, which she used to hide the scars from the war that she wore on one side of her face and body. The first thing Sigyn did after welcoming the child into her home was offer to work on her injuries, to ease the pain she was in and do what she could to minimise the scarring. Loki distracted the girl as Sigyn worked, telling her how “it must be fate,” because the first time he met Sigyn was very much the same – though his injuries were caused when a potion (meant to turn Thor beet-red whenever he got angry) exploded. The girl remained nervous and silent for most of her first day with them until she went to investigate an incessant scratching sound and there, hiding under her new bed, was a brown and white rabbit.

“His name is Sir Fluffy the Third. But you can just call him Fluffy for short,” Loki told her, smiling warmly.

She smiled for the first time as she hugged the placid creature. Loki gave her a piece of carrot and she squealed in delight as her new pet nibbled at it. She glanced between her two new parents, deliberating for a moment before she spoke for the first time.

“My name is Helenka, but you can call me Hel for short.”

 

THE END


End file.
